Physical examinations are said to have been carried out at the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany to prove the gender. Sweden’s soccer players had to undress for this, reports ex-national player Nilla Fischer. Fifa “takes note” of the serious allegations.

Before the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany, players from Sweden are said to have had to expose themselves in a gender test. During the physical examination, it should be checked whether all footballers are actually women, reports former Swedish international Nilla Fischer to the British “Guardian”. The report is based on revelations from the 38-year-old’s biography, which was published last Friday.

Swedish team doctor confirms physical examination of players

As she writes in her book “Jag sa inte ens halfen” (“I didn’t even say half”), from which the English “Guardian” quotes, she had to undress in front of a physiotherapist who was hired by a doctor . She experienced the whole process as “humiliating”.

The gender tests were carried out because, before the World Cup, several nations had alleged that men were also playing in the Equatorial Guinea team. As a result, the world football association Fifa initiated controls.

The Guardian further reports that Fifa has issued a statement that it has “taken note of Nilla Fischer’s recent comments regarding her experience and the gender verification tests conducted by the Swedish national team at the 2011 Women’s World Cup”.

The then Swedish team doctor, Mats Börjesson, confirmed the controls to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. He considered the purpose of the investigations to be justifiable. Fifa does not do this to want to be mean to anyone.

Fischer played a total of 189 senior internationals for Sweden between 2001 and 2022. From 2013 to 2019 she was under contract with VfL Wolfsburg.